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Marcos’ choice of National Museum as venue of inauguration to ‘reopen past wounds’

Jesuit priest Albert Alejo expressed hope that the president-elect’s choice will reflect his plans for cultural development

President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s choice of the National Museum as venue of his inauguration as the country’s 17th president on June 30 will only “reopen past wounds.”

“It’s his choice, but personally I think it’s insulting,” said artist and activist Winchester Co.

He said the museum is part of the country’s culture and history. “The Marcoses are the reason why we got dragged down … now a younger Marcos will celebrate his presidential win, that’s like trampling on our history,” said Co.



He said part of history that killed our people “should be remembered, not celebrated.”

Formerly known as the Old Legislative Building, the National Museum served as the venue for the inauguration of former presidents Manuel L. Quezon (1935), Jose P. Laurel (1943), and Manuel Roxas (1946).

“The National Museum … building and its surrounding areas match our requirements for president-elect Marcos’ inauguration,” said Zenaida “Naida” Angping, the incoming head of the Presidential Management Staff.

She said preparations “are already in full swing” to ensure that the venue will be ready by June 30.

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Designed by the Bureau of Public Works in 1918 as the new home of the National Library of the Philippines, construction work was completed in 1926.

In 1935, it served as the venue for the proclamation of the Philippine Commonwealth and was subsequently known as the National Assembly Building.

It was destroyed during World War II and underwent a massive reconstruction from 1949 to 1950.

Activist Renato Reyes said on Twitter that it was in same building where the president-elect’s father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., delivered his State of the Nation Address in 1970 as student protesters gathered outside.

“The violent police dispersal that followed marked the start of the First Quarter Storm,” recalled Reyes.

Jesuit priest Albert Alejo said wherever Marcos Jr. wants to be inaugurated is his prerogative.

The priest expressed hope that the president-elect’s choice will reflect his plans for cultural development.

“Not only our culture and arts as a decoration, the building as those for the rich, but I hope there will also be space for protest art and indigenous art in his leadership,” said Father Alejo.

He recalled how the art and film industries were used to hide the dark realities of the Marcos dictatorship in the past.

“I hope this time, it won’t be a type of cultural development that distracts people from issues, but instead, it will also cultivate and boost arts from the marginalized,” said the priest.

Historian Xiao Chua also expressed hope that the choice of the venue will reflect Marcos’ commitment to not tarnish history.

“Let those memories (of martial law) be recalled now. Let people talk about them, so people will not forget and the lessons will stay on,” he said.

He warned Marcos that if he will be “a bad president,” a “first quarter storm like siege may happen again.”

“You learn from history by not tarnishing it,” said Chua.

The First Quarter Storm was a period of civil unrest in the Philippines that took place during the “first quarter of the year 1970.” It included a series of demonstrations, protests, and marches against the administration of the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

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